The 24-year-old Queenslander claimed the $10,000 winner's cheque in the Australia/America Challenge Cup after running down world number one, American Donny Schatz, in a dramatic 30-lap race on Friday night.

McFadden, who started from position three, surged past Schatz with seven laps remaining and kept the seven-time Knoxville Nationals winner at bay in the run to the line.

Three-time Classic winner Kerry Madsen, who raced from eighth to third was late last night appealing a decision to penalise him four spots for twice passing on the infield. An angry Madsen hurled abuse at an official on the infield after being informed of the decision.

Another former winner, South Australian Trevor Green, was fourth across the line, ahead of Tasmanian Shaun Dobson, in the Warrnambool-owned Droste Motorsport car.

Front row starters, American Tim Kaeding and pole-sitter South Australian Luke Dillon were sixth and seventh over the line.

McFadden slapped his car, leapt on to the top wing and, to a rousing reception from the crowd, pumped both his arms in the air.

"I won't have to eat Vegemite, I can have a counter meal," McFadden joked after the win.

While he has enjoyed plenty of success at Premier Speedway in the past, it was his first triumph at a Classic.

"It has been kind to me every other day bar the Classic," he said.

"It got really tight and he made a couple of mistakes and we were lucky to get up.

"We've had a tough season so to get the win is great.

"At the end of the day it's what I'm aiming for, the win is just a bonus. It would be unreal (to win the Classic), even tonight is pretty cool."

McFadden said he had struggled all season despite being competitive.

"We've been down on confidence," he said.

"We just haven't had the car feel I have had over the past few years. We've changed a lot of stuff and we built another car for Mount Gambier (on Thursday night) and it was good straight off the bat.

"I'm not saying it's the car, it's my head and confidence is a big thing in this sport."

The win sets McFadden up for a tilt at Sunday night's Classic. While he has been quick in previous Classic attempts, he has usually started too far back in the pack to push for a podium finish.

Schatz, from Fargo, North Dakota, oozed class when he surged under early leader Dillon on lap five. He sprinted clear and looked the winner until he struggled to negotiate lapped traffic.

The 36-year-old was disappointed with the result but revealed he had experimented with his car set-up ahead of Sunday.

"My car got pretty tight," Schatz said.

"I didn't expect the race track to take rubber.

"There are adjustments you have to make for Sunday. I tried something but it didn't work. There are some areas I can improve on."

He said the nature of the Classic meant the time to experiment with the set up was the preliminary night and that he would use Saturday to give some "TLC" to his car.

Schatz is well placed to push for a third Classic triumph on Sunday night.

The other half of the field races on Saturday night before all competitors are brought together for Sunday's finale.

Former national champ Robbie Farr's bid for an elusive maiden Classic suffered a blow in the final, rolling in turn two after tagging the wall on lap six.

The finishing order in the Friday night A main was: 1. James McFadden, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Trevor Green, 4. Shaun Dobson, 5. Tim Kaeding, 6. Luke Dillon, 7. Kerry Madsen, 8. Kyle Hirst, 9. Jason Side, 10. Kevin Swindell, 11. Justin Henderson, 12. Cameron Gessner, 13. Will Carroll, 14. Max Johnston, 15. Bud Kaeding, 16. Daniel Pestka, 17. Jamie Maiolo. DNF: Brad Kellar, Robbie Farr and Darren Hickman.